Snowed In: Jonah and Cooper

Chapter 1-2

It was mostly highway driving, so I set the cruise control, turned up the radio, and blanked out a little. For an hour, I let my mind wander, trying not to think too much about the food in my backseat. Instead, I focused on how much fun it would be just to hang out with my sister. We’d always gotten along perfectly. She was only two years older, and we’d been best friends since the moment I was born. We rarely fought, and even if we did, we couldn’t stay mad at each other for long. I’d lucked out when I’d gotten her for a sister.

After about another hour, it started to snow. Big fat flakes, lazily falling. I’d checked the weather before I left, and I knew it was going to happen. But it wasn’t supposed to be more than a few inches accumulation, and having lived in Upstate New York my entire life, I wasn’t worried about driving in it.

But the farther north I drove, the worse the snow got. I took off the cruise, and leaned forward so I could really focus. It still wasn’t terrible, but it required all my attention. Fortunately, my exit came up quickly, and I drove off the highway and onto the backroads leading to Mark’s family’s cabin.

“Cabin” really was a misnomer, though. It was more like a log house. It had four bedrooms, two upstairs and two down, a full bathroom on the second floor and a half bath on the first. I’d spent many a weekend there hanging out with my sister, her husband, and various members of his family. It was nice and quiet, the cabin surrounded by several acres of national forest.

Finally, I pulled into the long private road, and thankfully I had four-wheel drive, because there was at least four inches of snow piled on it. I slid a little when I made it to the end, but managed not to crash into the porch. I breathed a sigh of relief, turned off the car, and shook out my tense muscles. I hadn’t realized how tightly I was gripping the steering wheel.

I grabbed my bags from the back and waded through the ankle-deep snow to the front door. The lock box had a number pad, and I fished out my phone to get the code from my sister, only to find a text with the code already waiting for me. I chuckled, punched it in, and pulled out the key. The door unlocked easily, though the hinges creaked as it swung in, and I gratefully got out of the frigid air.

It wasn’t much warmer inside, but I found the thermostat and turned it up. Almost immediately, it clicked on. I left my bags in the entryway, divested myself of my outwear, texted Ellie that I’d arrived safe and to drive carefully, then lit a fire in the fire place. I knew she’d take her time, but I was worried anyway.

With all that done, I dropped my duffle in one of the bedrooms on the first floor, and set about unpacking the groceries. I’d planned carefully, knowing I’d be doing the cooking all weekend. It didn’t take long to get everything stored away, and when Ellie texted a few minutes later that she was finally done with work, I started the Chicken Florentine, resolutely ignoring any feelings or memories that wanted to surface.

After two hours, I started getting concerned. Ellie hadn’t answered my texts, and I hoped it was because she was driving slowly and carefully. I kept glancing out the window and watching the snow get worse. At three hours, I moved from concern to full-out worry. Lunch was done and staying warm in the oven, and Ellie still hadn’t arrived. I’d tried to call, but it went straight to voicemail. I went out and shoveled the steps and the walk, all the while glancing down the drive and expecting to see Ellie at any moment. It took me almost an hour, and by the time I got back inside, I was heading into full-out panic.

I was just trying to decide if I should call Mark when I heard a clomp of boots on the steps outside. I whirled around, and the door opened as I blew out a relieved breath.

“It’s about time! I was wor…ried…”

It wasn’t my sister. It was a yeti. A big, hulking yeti covered in snow. I squinted, because I knew that shape. Those shoulders and those legs. Even after three years, and under layers of winter wear, I knew his body.

The yeti whipped off his hat, sending snow showering down, and my worst fear was confirmed.

Captain Adrian Cooper.

My ex.

The man who broke my heart.